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Bochum interested in North Korean striker Jong

GEORGE, South Africa (AFP) - German side VfL Bochum are interested in acquiring North Korea's ace striker Jong Tae-Se in their bid to return to the Bundesliga, a press report said on Thursday.

Bochum will make a formal offer soon to the 26-year-old J-League Kawasaki Frontale player, nicked "Asian (Wayne) Rooney" or "People's Rooney" for his combative style, the Japanese daily Sports Hochi reported.

The side from Germany's industrial heartland were relegated to the second-tier German league after finishing 17th last season.

Jong -- who was born and bred in Japan in an ethnic Korean family -- led North Korea's attack in the 2-1 defeat by five-time champions Brazil in their World Cup opener on Tuesday.

In a 2-2 draw with Greece in a friendly in Austria last month, he scored a brace as North Korea geared up for their first World Cup in 44 years since they upset Italy 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals in their Cup debut.

Jong has played for Kawasaki since his graduation from Tokyo's Korea University in 2006.

After his debut with doggedly defensive North Korea in 2007, Jong has scored 14 goals in 21 internationals with his skills in brushing off defenders and holding up the ball.

He holds South Korean nationality like his father, who is a descendant of immigrants from colonial Korea. But he managed to obtain a North Korean passport after attending patriotic pro-Pyongyang schools in Japan at the urging of his mother who remain loyal to the North.